Police Officer Dead After Gunman Opens Fire at CDC in Atlanta
Share and Follow

A gunman opened fire at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta late Friday afternoon, killing a local police officer but striking no other people.

The shooter, whose identity has not been released, was found dead in the 2nd floor of a building that houses a CVS drugstore at Emory Point, across the street from the CDC, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference.

“He had been struck by gunfire, but we don’t know where that gunfire came from,” Schierbaum said.

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Interim Police Chief Greg Padrick confirmed the death of the police officer, who was shot while responding to the initial calls about gunfire. Padrick declined to release his name for now but said that information will be provided later.

“Today is a very dark day in DeKalb County,” Cochran-Johnson said. “This evening there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a fatter. There is a mother and a father as well as siblings who also share in this traumatic loss.”

Both officials asked for prayers for the officer’s family and for the DeKalb County family at large.

Initial 911 calls came in at about 4:50 p.m. and officers quickly found the DeKalb County police officer critically wounded on the scene, Schierbaum said. He was extracted and rushed to the hospital while the massive police response continued until the gunman was found dead.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said that 92 children were trapped at a nearby daycare but that all those children were safe and were being reunited with family at a nearby school.

A law enforcement official told CNN that investigators learned from the gunman’s family that he was either sick or believed he was sick and blamed his illness on the COVID-19 vaccine. Officials did not confirm that information at a news conference, although Dickens said that the gunman “has a interest in certain things.”

Multiple bullet holes were seen in windows of CDC buildings.

Law enforcement also told CNN that the gunman’s father had informed police that he believed his son was suicidal, although it’s not clear when he made that call to law enforcement.

State and federal officials will be assisting the Atlanta Police Department in the investigation. Schierbaum said that further information would be released as the investigation continues.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Shocking Discovery: Man Uses Oven Cleaner to Erase Crime Scene Evidence, Police Say

Inset: Clay Fosse (New Mexico Department of Corrections). Background: The apartment complex…

Tragic Hero: Officer Killed in Line of Duty While Safeguarding NC Hospital Patients

A tragic incident unfolded in North Carolina when a Garner police officer…

Man Allegedly Kills Former Partner’s Housemate at CVS, District Attorney Reports

Inset: Antonio Serrano (Clay County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The CVS in North…

Florida Resident Allegedly Commits Arson Following Tragic Incident Involving Two Children and Family Dog: Authorities Report

An Escambia County resident in Florida was taken into custody following allegations…

Decades-Old Michigan Murder Case Revisited: Children Pursue Justice for Mother 42 Years Later

Over 40 years have passed since the tragic stabbing of Belinda Gardella,…

Justice Served: Mother Sentenced for Attempted Murder of Disabled Son

Inset: Julie Myhre-Schnell (Ramsey County Jail). Background: The area in Ramsey County…

Tragic Case Unfolds: Esteemed Teacher Found Bound and Fatally Tortured

Jonathan Levin, the heir to one of New York City’s most influential…

Pre-Trial Diversion Breach: Man Arrested for Firearm Possession at UF Campus

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida campus police have arrested…